Flatten the curve. Social distancing. Remote learning. These are the phrases that have been introduced into our lexicon since the beginning of COVID-19. There are names, faces and stories behind each expression. Everyone has been impacted in one way or another by the pandemic. School age kids are not exempt. They have had to adapt to a new way of learning, which for most occurs online at home. This can pose challenges to students and their parents because of work schedules, internet access, home dynamics, learning styles, etc.
Pastor Curt and Christina Saxon and the Ekklesia Church of North Philadelphia saw these obstacles as an opportunity to meet a need with the creation of a learning pod. According to Christina Saxon, The Pod began last October after many discussions with the North Philadelphia Learning Pod Consortium, Ekklesia’s brainchild, bringing together organizations with pre-pandemic afterschool programs similar to theirs, in order to create a way to care for schools and families during this season. Four pods were launched.
The Pod operates from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is currently serving five families, totaling nine students. It is staffed by a 69-year-old woman who “loves working with children, and is not afraid” of the pandemic. She and The Pod are a godsend to these families as it provides structured environment for learning along with adult support.
“We have two new families who are benefitting from The Pod being open. One whose parent works and the older siblings were having to support the kindergartener while also doing their own school work. Now the kindergartner can get support from an adult and a more structured environment…and the older siblings can return to just taking care of their own learning. The other family lost internet connection at home and therefore couldn’t attend classes,” said Saxon.
The school districts represented in The Pod are planning to re-open some grades within the next month or so, according to Saxon. Public opinion is divided. There is some resistance from teachers and families. Ekklesia is located on the edge of Temple University’s main campus. The area is predominately African American. A large percentage of the families in Ekklesia’s neighborhood do not feel comfortable sending their children back to school. Many families have lost friends and family members to the virus. This demographic has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. And while there is a tremendous need for kids to return to the classroom, there is also a great deal of concern about safety.
“This calls for much prayer, as we want to see our community thrive, even during this season, and it is hard to know how to support that happening. However, the learning pod continues to be a safe place for social interaction as well as learning. It is a support, even though it is small. We pray that God will use it in large ways. Meanwhile, our church families have become more invested in supporting the local schools,” said Saxon.
A BRN evangelism grant is helping Ekklesia to live and love Christ through The Pod. EVERY 4 MINUTES, 1 Pennsylvanian or S. Jerseyan DIES without Christ!* How can BRN partner with you to meet the needs of your community while introducing them to the love of Christ?
*This statistic is based on a conservative national average of 85% lostness and current vital statistics from the PA and NJ Departments of Health.
